Monday, June 22, 2009

Grief After Abortion

We had a somewhat unusual occurrence in one of the centers the other day—a young couple came in already determined to have their baby. Only 18, they were newly engaged and in the process of finding an apartment to live in. Despite living in a time of such transition, they found hope in the baby that was theirs. Actually, they were so excited for the baby that they had come in a little too early—the sonogram technician could barely find the tiny child. Their joy and excitement, however, was mixed. A year earlier, the girl’s family had pressured her into the abortion of her first child. Even as she welcomed her new child, she couldn’t stop the frequent tears that came with the recollection of her first one.

After seeing a grief so deep, it was difficult to go back to the sidewalk counseling and see so many women making the same mistake. Abortion seems like such an easy solution to these women, perhaps because their situations are so grave. I talked to one woman whose baby was the result of an affair. She felt that having an abortion was the only way to hold her family together. Yet I wonder how hiding both an affair and an abortion can possibly heal her family, especially after seeing the pain of the other young woman. This abortion will not only destroy her baby, but very possibly the family she thinks she is protecting. Please pray that she will recognize the truth and find a solution that protects both the baby’s life and her family. Hopefully, such prayer can mean more young couples eagerly getting sonograms, and fewer desperate women entering abortion clinics.

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